William A. Thomas facts for kids
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 21, 1948 |
| Died | January 18, 2019 (aged 70) Houston, Texas |
| Playing career | |
| 1967–1970 | Tennessee State |
| Position(s) | Linebacker |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1971–1983 | Tennessee State (assistant) |
| 1984–1988 | Tennessee State |
| 1994–2003 | Texas Southern |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1986–1994 | Tennessee State |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 84–78–3 |
| Tournaments | 1–1 (NCAA D-I-AA playoffs) |
William A. Thomas (born October 21, 1948 – died January 18, 2019) was an important person in American football. He was a coach and also managed sports programs at colleges. He led the football teams at Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee and Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas.
Thomas was a head coach for many years. His total coaching record was 84 wins, 78 losses, and 3 ties. He also worked as the athletic director at Tennessee State. An athletic director is like a manager for all the sports teams at a college.
Contents
Who Was William A. Thomas?
William A. Thomas was a well-known figure in college football. He started as a player and then became a coach. Later, he took on a big role managing all the sports at a university. He spent most of his career helping young athletes grow and succeed.
Playing Days
Before he became a coach, William Thomas was a football player himself. He played as a Linebacker for the Tennessee State team. He played college football from 1967 to 1970.
Coaching Career
After his playing career, Thomas decided to become a coach. He started as an assistant coach at Tennessee State. This means he helped the main coach with training and strategy. He worked as an assistant from 1971 to 1983.
Coaching at Tennessee State
In 1984, William Thomas became the head football coach for the Tennessee State Tigers. This was a big step up! He coached the team until 1988. One of his best seasons was in 1984, when his team had an amazing record of 11 wins and no losses. They were undefeated! In 1986, his team went 10-2-1 and even made it to the NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinals. Overall, he led Tennessee State to 34 wins, 20 losses, and 3 ties.
Coaching at Texas Southern
After his time at Tennessee State, Thomas later became the head coach for the Texas Southern Tigers. He coached this team from 1994 to 2003. During his time at Texas Southern, his teams had a record of 50 wins and 58 losses. He helped the team improve and compete in their conference.
Leading College Athletics
Besides coaching, William Thomas also served as the athletic director at Tennessee State. He held this important position from 1986 to 1994. As an athletic director, he was in charge of managing all the sports programs at the university. This included hiring coaches, managing budgets, and making sure student-athletes had what they needed to succeed in both sports and academics.
William A. Thomas passed away on January 18, 2019, at the age of 70. He left behind a legacy of dedication to college football and student-athletes.
